The Blog

7 Ways to Increase Team Morale

A good leader understands that every little piece of the system is equally important, and the people who make those pieces work properly and work together, are the lifeblood of your organization.

Keeping your team morale high and your people happy is incredibly important. A passionate and driven team is more valuable than a million brilliant ideas.

Here are seven ways you can increase team morale in your business.

1. Have Fun

This one gets put at the top of the list because working a job you hate is one of the worst things you can do. If you hate your job, you typically will not work as hard. Now, a lot of people are just good workers, regardless, but your team’s efficiency will drastically improve if they enjoy their time.

Find ways to have some fun. Celebrate small victories, run friendly inter-office contests, and look for ways to make your workspace a little less boring.

2. Show Them You Care

You people need to know they are more to you than just some robot who performs a specific task to help build your business. Find ways to let your team know you care about more than just the bottom line. Remember birthdays, ask about their families, and share stories about yours.

Most important, actually care. Remember, your business is nothing without your team.

3. Listen

If you have an office, keep your door open. Make sure everyone knows you’re always available to talk. If you’re like me and have a crazy schedule, set aside an hour each day and let your team know that time is when they can bring their thoughts to you.

Be open to new ideas and always ask your team for their opinion on how things are going. You can learn a wealth of knowledge simply by listening to those who are in the trenches.

4. Focus on the Positive

People are going to make mistakes. It’s just the way it is. No one is perfect. Too often, employers are quick to discipline, and no “boss” has ever been shy about letting someone know they messed up.

Fact is, most people realize when they mess up. And if they didn’t, as soon as you point it out, they’re aware and most likely beating themselves up about it. Instead of piling on the beating, look for the positive in a situation and focus on that.

You can let them know that you appreciate their recognition of the problem and point out the new opportunity to create a system for preventing it in the future. Focusing on the positive will help get them back up and working at full capacity again.

5. Be Passionate

People will work harder for something they believe in. This is your company. It’s your vision. Your passion is what drives everything. Share your passion and your beliefs with your team. And share them often. Help them believe in what they’re doing and they’ll work hard for you.

6. Promote From Within

There aren’t many things more devastating to a long-time employee than being overlooked for a promotion. Granted, that long-time employ shouldn’t be given a higher position simply because they’ve been there longer, but you shouldn’t need to bring in an outside candidate.

Build systems that enable you to prepare your team for advancement. Invite your veteran team members into a few extra conversations, get their opinions on new projects or ventures, and look for opportunities to reward their loyalty. If you train your people, keep them passionate, and provide them opportunities, you should never need to look outside of your team when promotion time comes.

7. Share Your Vision

Passion, hard work, loyalty, and dedication mean nothing if I don’t know where I’m going. Your team needs to know what the future looks like. They need to know what all their hard work is for.

Share your vision with them. Have them share their visions with you, and find a way to connect those visions. If your team knows why they’re working and what they’re working for, they’ll be more likely to want to work harder and stay with you til the end.

They are a lot of ways to keep your team motivated, but your goal should be more than that. Motivation is short-term. Look for ways to inspire your team. Share your inspiration with them, let them see the big picture, and make sure they know how much you appreciate them. Do all this, and you’ll see a strong upswing in your team morale.